“Beguiling unstable souls” II Peter 2:14 “Wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” II Peter 3:16

I must admit I’m starting to feel rather stupid writing these blogs. It appears that very few if any read them — unless I happen to ask some folks if they’ve read them. But, I’m going to write anyway. There may come a point in time where the things I write may touch and minister to someone somewhere. I hope, and trust, that will happen.

I’ve been saved long enough to finally start trusting what I believe Scripture teaches and what it doesn’t teach. For pretty much most of my entire saved life (44 years) I’ve thought I was the ignorant and crazy one. Let me explain.

I was saved in 1973 into Militant Fundamentalism (a term which I initially recoiled from but now see more-and-more the need to be militant — contend earnestly — for the faith). In my many years involved in the Independent Baptist movement I seemed to see things in the Bible that my contemporaries did not see. For example: Dispensationalism; the Sabbath now being Sunday; the feasts and festivals no longer applicable to those in Jesus; you can eat anything you want at the Jesus Buffet …. But after decades of feeling very alone in my thoughts, I came to realize that there were multitudes who had the same thoughts too. Come to find out, they are in this Messianic/Hebraic Roots movement. What a moment of relief it was to find out that, perhaps, I wasn’t all that crazy after all.

So now I”m in the Messianic/Hebraic Roots movement …

Only to start wondering again if I'm the crazy one. Why? Because I don’t agree with a lot (most?) of what is going on in this messianic movement. Yes, they are adherents to the things I mentioned above but … they are struggling with some basics of doctrine and theology — which by the way “Christians” have correct.

What are the issues - as I see it?

Dreams, interpretations of dreams (and you can be trained on how to get and interpret dreams); gifts of the Spirit to the exclusion of the fruit of the Spirit; a “personal” prayer language; what books are in the Bible that shouldn’t be and what books aren’t in that should be; anointing cracks in one’s house to keep out demons; seeing one’s family member in the house though really that person is in a different place; special personal messages from God through various means … and on and on and on and on!

What is sad to me is that when somebody opposes or questions any of this he’s deemed the crazy, unenlightened, intolerant one.

You know, we’re blind to our own Christian history. We tend to live in our present and not look to those whom God has greatly used in the past. Does anybody know about Moody, Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, Hudson Taylor, John Patton (just finished reading about five missionaries killed, two of which were eaten by the cannibals), John Bunyan, Adoniram Judson …?

None of these were concerned about interpreting their own personal dreams or special personal messages from God. They all lived and died for the 66 books that make up our Bible — and they weren’t wrangling over translations. As far as I know, not one of them ever spoke in tongues or had their “prayer language.” They didn’t see loved ones walking in their houses that weren’t there. They didn’t anointed the cracks in their walls to keep out demons. And yet, they impacted continents for God and brought more people to salvation in Yeshua than this present Messianic movement will ever hope to accomplish.

As for me, I’m lining up with the names I just mentioned not the Messianic teachers that will never hold a candle to these men.

Those Christian men never kept the correct Sabbath. However, the Sunday Sabbath they kept was far more of a Sabbath than some of our coffee toting, divisive people that show up in our congregations. Moody got upset when he saw people from his congregation out riding in buggies or on horseback on the Sunday Sabbath. What would he think now as thousands of Christians go out for dinner after the Sunday (no longer called a Sabbath anymore by Christians) service?

OK, they didn’t celebrate Passover. But, they loved and adored the Saviour of the Passover perhaps just as much as those Messianics that do keep Passover — using the same Jewish Seder rituals just like the unsaved Jews do.

But some would say: “Those you mentioned didn’t use a Messianic translation with all the correct Hebrew names and spellings. How could they possibly know anything about anything?” I know, they used that outdated and substandard King James Bible that was translated by a bunch of ignorant people that didn’t even have (so they say) the “original” Greek. A translation 400+ years old can’t really be all that accurate can it? Just think of all the poor people that got saved by those faulty texts and even died for the inadequate translations that came by means of those texts. If only they could have been blessed with new texts of the famed Westcott and Hort.

Who’s crazy I ask you?

I’m talking to us in the Messianic/Hebraic Roots movement. We’ve thrown out so much of Christianity that we’ve become a bunch of self-aggrandizing wannabes trying to reinvent our own “ministries” in order to once again sustain our lives. And so the flock gets fleeced once again all in the name of Yeshua.

I stand in doubt of much of what is going on in the Messianic movement. I refute those that question the Scriptures. I refute those that insist one must have a “prayer language.” I refute those that purport to have special insight into dreams and visions. Maybe I need to anoint the cracks in my house with oil but … I refute that and all other non-Biblical nonsense.

There’s a real battle being waged by the forces of Hell and we are being misdirected away from the important to the trifling. Gideon got rid of those that messed around with trifles. Stupid idiots would get everyone else killed because they didn’t know how to focus properly on the battle at hand. Once Gideon saw those people weren’t adequately prepared to do battle he sent them packing. Amen!

It’s time to get rid of those that are going to get us all killed. There is too much at stake. We’re dealing with the eternal souls of people … not with how best to get followers so our pockets can get lined.

By the way, when you die try to get one of your favorite online Messianic teachers to do your funeral. Or when you’re in the hospital don’t wait too long for one of them to show up. Or when you just lost your child will they be there to put an arm around you and shed some tears? Maybe God knew what He was doing when He established local congregations led by a shepherd that actually cares for his sheep.

But, you know what … none of this farce is new. It was already going on in the early days of the original Messianic movement. You can read about it below.

(Good thing nobody is going to read this. People might think I’m unloving, unkind and in need of much prayer.) Jude v. 3-4 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

II Peter 2:9-22 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

II Peter 3:15-17 15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.